Attack Ads in Pittsburgh Mayor's Race

Who's behind the 'Committee for a Better Pittsburgh?'

Campaign finance reports filed with Allegheny County's Elections Division and the Pennsylvania Department of State indicate that the group behind an attack ad in the Pittsburgh mayoral race has past ties to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's now shut-down reelection campaign.

The TV spot begins with an announcer saying, "Bill Peduto wants to be mayor of Pittsburgh, but Peduto only seems to care about his own district." The attack ad charges that Peduto was against helping Homewood seniors, Hill District development and a living wage -- claims he denies.

"It's an outside group lurking in the shadows that's trying to determine who the next Mayor of Pittsburgh is," said Peduto, one of four Democratic candidates who's running in the May primary.

The Republican-aligned agency hired to make the ad also created the "Swiftboat" ads against former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry -- a third-party attack ad that hurt Kerry's run for president in 2004.

Fine print on the anti-Peduto ad says it's paid for by the "Committee for a Better Pittsburgh." WTAE has obtained campaign finance reports that show the group's only income before the start of this year's campaign appears to be a $20,000 loan from the Ravenstahl for Mayor campaign. The committee's biggest spending before this year was its payments on that debt.

Ravenstahl has not responded to questions from Channel 4 Action News about whether the money from his canceled reelection campaign and supporters is funding the ads. Peduto claims it is, saying all of this is tied together to "the Ravenstahl-Wagner alliance."

Jack Wagner is also a Democratic mayoral candidate. His campaign said, "Bill Peduto is responsible for the shift to a negative tone in this race," and, "Jack Wagner has been a vocal critic of both this administration and Councilman Peduto."

The treasurer of "Committee for a Better Pittsburgh" was previously the campaign treasurer for the mayor's brother, state Rep. Adam Ravenstahl, as well as campaign treasurer for state Sen. Jim Ferlo, a former backer of Mayor Ravenstahl's candidacy who now supports Wagner in the race.

"Committee for a Better Pittsburgh" Treasurer John R. Morgan could not be reached for comment at his Highland Park home or at his job at the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.

State and county election law will soon end the mystery. They require that updated campaign finance reports be filed between May 6 and May 10.